What’s wrong with Kaprizov and Boldy? Progress reports on Wild’s prospects? Ask Russo and Smith, part 2
As always, thanks for your hundreds of questions for our “Ask Russo and Smith” mailbag. The support, despite what we know has been a hard start to the season for Minnesota Wild fans, is much appreciated.
Part 1 of our mailbag focused on coach Dean Evason’s extremely uncertain future and the culpability general manager Bill Guerin may have for this 5-10-4 team that has lost 13 of 16 games and seven in a row.
Part 2 revolves mostly around underperforming players and the Wild’s prospect pool.
(Note: Some questions are edited lightly for length and clarity.)
What is Matt Boldy ’s problem? Is Kirill Kaprizov actually hurt? — Ken Cutler
Kaprizov got looked at recently and the examination gave him an all clear, but there’s no doubt he has not been the same this season. Even the past three games, looking more like himself, he has only one goal, two assists and six shots. That is not good enough for an alleged top-five-in-the- NHL winger tasked to be this franchise’s superstar and earning $12.5 million this season. We don’t know what’s going on with Boldy, but again, at $8 million, only one goal and none in 10 games since returning is unacceptable. The big-money guys are paid to score goals, and with that comes more scrutiny than role guys like Marcus Johansson , who has been downright brutal, Marcus Foligno (two goals) and Freddy Gaudreau (no points).
Dean Evason re: Matt Boldy. “There's sometimes we'll take accountability, but there's sometimes a player has got to step up. I don't care how old you are and I don't care what's going on. Those guys get paid a lot of money to score goals and play better. Some guys aren’t.”— Joe Smith November 26, 2023
Can you provide a mid-year update on some of the top Wild prospects? How are their seasons going? When do you anticipate they will turn pro? — Kevin R.
Riley Heidt is one of the WHL’s leading scorers so far (41 points in his first 21 games for Prince George), taking off after a strong development camp; he’ll likely return to junior next year. Hunter Haight has 29 points (nine goals) in his first 21 games with Saginaw; he’ll turn pro next year in AHL Iowa after the Memorial Cup, which Saginaw hosts. Rasmus Kumpulainen has 22 points in his first 22 games for Oshawa and will return to junior after a strong development camp. Servac Petrovsky also has 23 points in 24 games for Owen Sound.
Riley Heidt put up 5 points (2G, 3A) in a 6-4 win over Lethbridge last night, giving him 13 goals and 28 assists through 21 games. He's second in WHL scoring with 41 points and has only been held off the scoresheet in one (1!) of Prince Georges's 21 games this season #mnwild pic.twitter.com/nLKwSUrPad— Spoked Z November 25, 2023
It’s hard to tell when Charlie Stramel, the Wild’s first-round pick this summer, will leave school. It could take another year, depending on where his game is at. Jesper Wallstedt is rolling in AHL Iowa, and should be part of a tandem with Filip Gustavsson by the start of next season. Rieger Lorenz is playing well as a sophomore at the University of Denver (10 points in 14 games). He paid his dues last season, playing in a bottom-six role as one of 17 true freshmen in the NCAA. He’s playing in the top six now and starting to score still as one of Denver’s youngest forwards this season. Jack Peart, out of St. Cloud State, could also sign and turn pro. Also, it’s nice to see Pavel Novak healthy and working his way into a top-six role in Iowa.
Do you think the prospects that are saying they are coming to North America next year will most likely play in Iowa next season? Also, which guys on Iowa (if any) do you see making the team next year? — Libby B.
That’s still the plan, especially for Liam Ohgren, who said as much last week when we paid him a visit in Karlstad. He’s coming off an injury to start the season but recently scored his first goal.
Danila Yurov is off to a hot start (10 goals, 24 points, 31 games) in the KHL. Whether those two, and Marat Khusnutdinov, start in AHL Iowa or make the big club in 2024 remains to be seen and depends on other changes up front (are Pat Maroon , Brandon Duhaime , Connor Dewar all gone?). They need to have strong seasons and stay healthy, but there’s a lot to be excited about. The Wild front office often alludes to its belief that Khusnutdinov may have the KHL experience to make the Wild’s big roster right out of next year’s camp.
Any concern with Stramel’s start to the season and that they took him over Gabe Perreault — Johnny K.
Stramel is only 19, so there’s plenty of time. Just look at the fact many were questioning Marco Rossi or, in years past, Mikko Koivu and Joel Eriksson Ek after being drafted in the first round. But, yeah, it’s a concern that Perreault as a freshman at Boston College is leading them in scoring with 17 assists and 20 points in 14 games and Stramel, after a bad freshman year at Wisconsin, has one goal and no assists in 10 games as a sophomore. Even more concerning is the Wild didn’t draft the smart, skilled Perreault because he’s a winger and they wanted a big, strong center like Stramel, yet this past weekend Stramel played fourth-line right wing and wasn’t on the power play.
This is why teams always say, “take the best player available,” rather than drafting for need. We all know the Wild are starved for centermen, but college kids are two to four years in most cases from signing and then need time in the AHL. Drafting for need is dangerous.
Stram the man ( ) nets his first of the year!: Carson Bantle & Ben Dexheimer pic.twitter.com/Vm1LuGicSj
— Wisconsin Hockey November 26, 2023
Is there any chance Vladislav Firstov comes back and plays for the Wild, or is he in the KHL permanently? — Jordan C.
He basically quit Iowa last season, and the Wild were still willing to welcome him back this offseason despite that. He again opted to stay in the KHL. Talented or not, that doesn’t sound like a player the Wild should continue to court. He seems to want to be given an NHL job without putting in the work. The Wild signed Michael Milne , who is a higher-priority prospect and should be a good player if he can only stay healthy. The Iowa coaching staff tried to get Firstov to mentally and physically commit to the development process, but he didn’t want to do that. He seems like another wasted talent like Alex Khovanov and Dmitry Sokolov.
Without injuries, do you expect the Wild to try to get Wallstedt an NHL game or two this season? — Kevin R
It’d be nice to see but is unlikely barring, as you said, injury or illness — or, of course, the season going off the rails. The problem is the team has no cap space. Affording him on the roster would require a long-term injury or a bare-minimum roster to accrue cap space or a discarding of another player. For Wallstedt, it’s better to play every night in Iowa than sit on the bench in the NHL, and since it’s going so well for him down there now, what’s the rush? Expect him to be part of a tandem with Gustavsson to start next season.
Let’s try a fun one to lighten the mood for this mailbag. Biggest thing you were pleasantly surprised about in regards to your visit to Sweden? How did you enjoy the Swedish coffee culture? — Shawn S
Smith: I loved the food. I’m not sure if it’s a surprise, but I had some really good Swedish meatballs at a place called Pelikan. Upon the suggestion of Johansson, Mike and I also checked out an Italian spot called L’Avventura. On previous trips to Stockholm, I did more tourist-type stuff, like the incredible Vasa museum and a boat tour. What I enjoyed the most this time was my side trip to Karlstad for stories on Jonas Brodin and Ohgren. Also, I’m not a coffee guy, but Sweden had a few pretty good IPAs.
Defying #mnwild strength coach Matt Harder’s no caffeine on the first day in Sweden advice pic.twitter.com/Tj42RPTNAF— Michael Russo November 14, 2023
Russo: I also did a lot more touristy stuff during my previous trip to Sweden. The boat tours and weather were extraordinary, and I, too, loved my visit to Karlstad to spend time with Joel Eriksson Ek and his family. The hospitality he showed me was incredible. I love how clean and safe Stockholm was. The train system was so easy, too, and it still blows my mind that Joe and I somehow lured 300 Wild fans to our live podcast at O’Leary’s Tolv. Loved the Espresso House and the mama-and-pop coffee places. And it bothers me that Joe’s not a coffee guy, especially when he drinks — no exaggeration — a dozen Diet Cokes a day.
Now that he’s played a few games, thoughts on Zach Bogosian ’s impact on the team? We have yet to see him use his size much, but he’s been noticeable jumping into the play in the offensive zone. — Ryan J.
Guerin brought in Bogosian, trading away Calen Addison on the same day, with the idea that the blue line needed to get bigger, heavier, harder to play against. Bogosian’s numbers don’t look bad — a plus-1, 53.4-percent Corsi for in seven games. He is getting protected, though, at a career-high 60 percent offensive zone starts. But the fact is that Minnesota has lost the seven games since the trade, the penalty kill hasn’t gotten better. Addison is minus-5 in nine games with the Sharks , though is a plus-1 with three points in his past three. He’s averaging nearly 20 minutes a night in a top-pair, top power-play role. The Wild felt they had the necessary replacements for Addison on the power play, but the unit hasn’t taken off, whether it’s Johansson running the top unit or Jared Spurgeon . Perhaps Bogosian’s experience and character can help the room during a tumultuous period, but there hasn’t been a major on-ice ripple.
Does Evason really believe in Rossi or not? His words and deeds don’t seem to match. He says Rossi is their best forward this season, yet he doesn’t play Marco on the first PP unit and put Gaudreau out to start OT in Sweden while not putting Rossi out until much later into that OT. — Ron S.
Evason does believe in Rossi. This faith has come a long way since last season, of course. But Rossi has been trusted enough to center the top line with Kaprizov in recent weeks, which speaks volumes. There should, and will, be a time when Rossi is on the top power-play unit, and he has seen some time on it when Evason made Boldy pay the piper for turnovers and soft wall play. It was interesting that it took three to four shifts to see Rossi in OT for one game in Stockholm, but a lot of the deployment in three-on-three can be varied based on situation, and Gaudreau has been a center Evason regularly puts out there in OT. And let’s not forget, Johansson’s fault or not, when Rossi did get out there, Toronto scored. That was one short instance in a 19-game season that many Wild are taking to mean Evason doesn’t like Rossi, but when Evason says Rossi has been their best forward, it isn’t fluff or B.S. It’s the truth. And it’s also an indictment of the Wild’s stars and a way to needle Kaprizov and Boldy, in particular. Rossi is averaging the third-most average ice time (16:13) amongst rookie forwards in the NHL. This narrative is off-base.
What’s the feel in the Wild organization about Adam Beckman? After a couple of great training camps and a brief stint last year, he seems like an afterthought this season despite getting a letter in Iowa and a decent start to their season. — Bill P.
The Wild still like Beckman, a third-rounder from 2019 and second-year pro who had a three-game callup to the NHL last season. Iowa gave him an “A,” and he’s regarded as a good teammate and a conduit between players and the coaching staff. He has five goals and 10 points in his first 17 games. He’s been a lot like his team, looking for consistency, especially when pucks aren’t going in. When Beckman is at the top of his game, he’s in the mix to be a recall player for the Wild. The lack of call-ups this season is also reflective of the team’s cap crunch, as his $894,000 cap hit was too rich for him to start the season on the roster and is too rich for them to even call up now. The Wild like the improvement in his 200-foot, defensive game, but for him to stick in the NHL — similar to Sammy Walker — he’ll have to show he can consistently finish at the next level.
Are there any concerns about Brock Faber ’s wear and tear/fatigue level as the season goes on due to the more demanding NHL schedule? He’s playing heavy minutes and has jumped straight from college into a league that plays more than double the games he played last year. — Eric S.
As bad as the Wild have been, where would they be without Faber? He’s averaging an NHL rookie-leading 23:08, second on Wild only to his defense pair partner Jonas Brodin (24:28). The former Gophers captain is also taking 59.4 percent of his starts in the defensive zone. So to your point, he’s playing some of the heaviest, toughest minutes ... and he’s 21. That is an incredible load and responsibility to put on such a young defenseman, but Faber spent all summer preparing for this exact situation, tailoring his workouts and regimen to having the best chance to handle the longer-season grind. It wouldn’t be surprising for Faber to eventually hit a “rookie wall,” but he could also be in the Calder Trophy conversation by season’s end.
Russo, do you listen to anything besides Trampled by Turtles? What do you think of Caamp? Have you heard of the band Lord Huron? Joe, what music or particular bands do you like? — Lee C.
Russo: I’ve seen and like Caamp (colleague Aaron Portzline’s favorite band from Columbus) and have actually hung out with the guys from Lord Huron with the Trampled guys a few times at Red Rocks and Milwaukee because Lord Huron used to open for Trampled. They even opened for Trampled at the Minnesota State Fair. Love ’em. Big fans of Judah and the Lion, Avett Bros., U2, REM, Counting Crows, Owl City, Guster, Coldplay, Shins, One Republic, Imagine Dragons, Barenaked Ladies and many, many others. As anybody who knows me can attest, if you try to get my attention while writing, I usually won’t hear you because I can only write with music in my ears.
Smith: One of my favorite bands is Kings of Leon, I’ve seen them a bunch of times. My wife has also gotten me into Gaslight Anthem. My musical tastes, like my karaoke go-to songs, are pretty eclectic. I’ll listen to classic rock, Motown, rap/R&B — even some Taylor Swift.
I never thought I would ask this, but are the Wild really missing Matt Dumba this much? Was he a bigger impact on the team than many fans, including me, really gave him credit for? — Andy G.
It seems like it. Imagine this team if you could have Faber on it with Dumba. Like him or not, Dumba brought speed and energy and was a big voice. Plus, he embraced his penalty-kill role last season and played well on it. Spurgeon’s injury didn’t help, but he and Brodin have not been good on the PK this season and Faber’s had some rough moments there. Add in that Jake Middleton has struggled overall and the third pair is a mishmash, and the Dumba loss hurts.
The 2018-19 Blues had the NHL’s worst record by Thanksgiving (note: actually Jan. 3) and ended up winning the Cup after a coaching change. Do you think this club could turn it around with a new voice, given that they’ve locked up their trade chips? — Ian Robert H.
That’s one reason why the Wild seem to have changed course and are seriously deliberating this. While we can make a case to let Evason be the sacrificial lamb and fire him after the season if it means the Wild get a lottery pick, the West is so down this season, the current playoff threshold is 82 points. That will likely rise, but let’s just say 85 points get you in. The Wild would only need 71 points in their final 63 games. That’s doable, although right now it’s hard to imagine the five-win Wild stringing wins together. This is not all Evason’s fault by any stretch, but teams do get boosts with a new voice. Players also know with a new coach that there’s no more bailouts and all the focus will solely be on their own underachieving.
MVP of the season so far? — Lizzy C.
It’s hard not to go with Faber, but it’s also tough to ignore Eriksson Ek’s 10 goals — six on the power play — for a guy coming off a broken leg.
(Top photo of Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy: Brace Hemmelgarn / USA Today)
